Sioux Falls Company Wants to Spread Hog Plant Waste in Fields

SIOUX FALLS - A Minnesota company is looking to spread up to 19,000 tons a year of byproduct from the John Morrell hog processing plant in Sioux Falls in farm fields around South Dakota.

The dried, treated wastewater byproduct currently goes to the landfill.

The Argus Leader reports that the Minnehaha County planning commission will take up a conditional-use permit application from Austin, Minn.-based Environmental Land Management on Monday.

The county planning staff is recommending the permit be denied.

ELM director of business development Michael Klema says the company will need conditional-use permits in Lincoln and Minnehaha counties before it can seek solid waste permits from the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

The company also wants to haul the material to fields in Hanson and McCook counties.